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Biomimetic seal whisker sensors for high-sensitivity wake detection and localization

  • 0Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623, United States of America.
Bioinspiration & Biomimetics +

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April 16, 2025

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April 16, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Engineers developed a low-cost, whisker-inspired sensor for underwater flow perception. This biomimetic technology mimics pinniped whiskers to detect subtle hydrodynamic disturbances, enabling advanced sensing and tracking.

Area Of Science

  • Biomimetics and Sensor Technology
  • Hydrodynamics and Fluid Mechanics
  • Robotics and Underwater Systems

Background

  • Pinnipeds possess highly sensitive whiskers capable of detecting minute hydrodynamic disturbances for navigation and prey detection.
  • Existing engineering solutions lack the passive flow perception capabilities found in biological systems.
  • There is a need for cost-effective, biomimetic sensors for underwater spatial flow perception.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To design and fabricate a low-cost, whisker-inspired sensor array for underwater sensing and tracking.
  • To replicate the hydrodynamic disturbance detection capabilities of pinniped whiskers.
  • To demonstrate the feasibility of artificial whisker sensors for passive flow perception.

Main Methods

  • Integration of metal foil strain gages within a polydimethylsiloxane soft base.
  • Development of a 3D-printed biomimetic seal whisker model.
  • Testing sensor performance, including sensitivity, linearity, repeatability, and dynamic response.
  • Deployment of a nine-sensor array with an artificial neural network for source localization.

Main Results

  • The sensor exhibits low self-noise and high sensitivity, detecting flow speeds as low as 0.5 mm s⁻¹.
  • Dual strain gages enable precise measurement of whisker bending amplitude and direction.
  • The sensor demonstrates excellent linearity, repeatability, fatigue life, and low-frequency dynamic performance.
  • A nine-sensor array successfully predicted dipole source locations using an artificial neural network.

Conclusions

  • Whisker-inspired sensors offer a feasible solution for robust underwater spatial flow perception.
  • The developed sensor technology is cost-effective, easy to fabricate, and suitable for large-scale array deployment.
  • This biomimetic approach advances passive flow perception for underwater sensing and tracking applications.

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